Agenda

Explore Aldo van Eyck’s Burgerweeshuis in Amsterdam and the BPD Art Collection of the building’s current tenant, BPD | Bouwfonds Gebiedsontwikkeling. Designed by architect Aldo van Eyck (1918-1999), the Burgerweeshuis is considered one of the most important contributions to Dutch architectural history of the twentieth century. It is also seen internationally as one of the architectural highlights of the last century. The building was designed in 1955 to house 125 orphans. It is a labyrinth of pavilions covered with 328 domes, ingeniously grouped around patios. At a time when mass production, rationality and functionalism were the norm in architecture, Van Eyck’s focus was on the human scale. By merging the private and the collective – under the motto ‘a house like a city, a city like a house’ – he created a safe place where each individual child could live, play and develop.

In 1960, the Burgerweeshuis was completed and it was used as a children’s home until 1991. After that, the building housed various companies and was vacant for a while. In 2014, the building was purchased by real estate company Van Zadelhoff and Nijkerk and was thoroughly restored under the direction of architect Wessel de Jonge. Since 2018, area developer BPD Bouwfonds Gebiedsontwikkeling has been renting the building and established its headquarters there.

Architecture and art
The building also features the impressive BPD Art Collection. The collection consists of (inter)national contemporary artworks by Sol Lewitt, Esther Tielemans, Günther Förg, Linda Arts, Michael Jacklin, Daan van Golden, Jan Schoonhoven and André Volten, among others. Inside the Burgerweeshuis, BPD has chosen to show artworks from its own collection that connect with a number of principles of the building’s design: structuralism, relationship indoor-outdoor, man at play and color. On display is work by artists who show direct and indirect affinity with these principles.

For more information about the Burgerweeshuis, click here (in Dutch).

Guided tours
Every first Saturday of the month, the Van Eesteren Museum provides two guided tours of the Burgerweeshuis: one at 11:00 (in Dutch) and one at 13:00 (in English). The tour will also feature BPD’s art collection.

Dates 2024: January 6, February 3, March 2, April 6, May 4, June 1, July 6, August 3, September 7, October 5, November 2, December 7
Starting time: 13:00 (English spoken)
Duration: approximately 1.5 hours
Starting location: Burgerweeshuis, IJsbaanpad 1, 1076 CV  Amsterdam
Cost: € 15,- (full rate, no discounts possible)
Number of participants: minimum 10 and maximum 15 people
Accessibility: during the tour you will visit the first floor and (via stairs) the second floor, only the first floor is accessible with a wheelchair and/or a walker
Language: English

Note: The tour can only take place if there are enough participants (minimum 10 people).

Buy a ticket for the guided tour Burgerweeshuis